


Worry (it will get better)

by never_bloom_again



Series: Deserving of Love (Hotch/Rossi) [11]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Boys In Love, Cute, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Exhaustion, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Pre-Slash, Requited Love, Sweet, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:28:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24270598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/never_bloom_again/pseuds/never_bloom_again
Summary: David reaches Aaron just in time. Aaron in exhausted, falling from the height of his emotions,
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner & David Rossi, Aaron Hotchner/David Rossi
Series: Deserving of Love (Hotch/Rossi) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1723459
Kudos: 62





	Worry (it will get better)

**Author's Note:**

> So I once again lied. Maybe the confrontation next time?  
> You could read this as a stand alone, the rest just adds way more context (even just the last story)

To say David was worried would be an understatement. He couldn’t see his friend in the windows, and the lights were all off. That wasn’t unusual, as the office could not be seen from the front of the house, and that was where Aaron spent most of his time. What was the root of Dave’s anxieties were the faint sobs he swore he heard from inside.

In all the years he had known Aaron, he had never known the man to sob. He got red around the eyes occasionally, and rarely shed tears, but only once had sobbed - and on that occasion he was very, very drunk, so he wasn’t entirely sure that counted.

He knocked on the door to begin with, pausing for a moment after he did, in case Aaron responded. Dave didn’t expect a response (and even had let Haley know what he was doing - he wasn’t entirely sure he would let him in and she was the only other person with a set of keys) but tried again.

“Go away! I can’t come to the door right now!” Aaron yelled from inside the house, his voice weak and uncertain, but still loud enough to be heard.

“Aaron, you can ignore my calls all you want. But I am not going to leave until we talk.” Dave yelled back, not going to give up without a serious fight. His best friend, the man he loved, sounded so hurt, so beaten down, so broken, and he couldn’t just leave that be.

There was silence, a painfully long silence that likely only lasted a minute or two, but was all Dave needed to grab his phone from his pocket, arming himself with it, ready to send of a text to Haley, who was standing at the ready, in case he got even the slightest inkling that something was wrong.

But thankfully, it didn’t come to that, as after several more excruciating moments, the door was slowly creaking open.

“Thank God you are okay!” Dave couldn’t help but say, as he faced Aaron, who stood on the other side of the door, looking tearstained and worse for wear in an oddly fancy suit.

It dawned on David in that moment that he had probably gotten there just in time - he wasn’t sure he would have been able to face the scene he would have been met with, despite the grizzly, horrifying crimes he had seen so often in his career.

Aaron was just staring at him, eyes full of fear, and anxiety, but just an overwhelming brokenness blanketing that. He walked into the house, not bothering to wait for Aaron to send him away, something that was all too likely to happen, and he wasn’t going to risk his friend’s life over this, something that wasn’t even a problem at all.

He grabbed Aaron’s arm lightly, and led him through to the couch, shutting and locking the door behind them. As they walked through the house, David noted the lone light on in the office. He would check in there later, but continued to walk to the living room.

Aaron slowly seemed to become less and less dazed as they walked. He sat down ungracefully, almost collapsing onto the sofa the moment they reached it. There was no doubt that the man was truly exhausted, if not physically then mentally. Dave was quickly rethinking his plan of speaking to Aaron that evening, realising that although the man may be more honest whilst on the brink of passing out, it will only further fuel the habits that even he could identify as unhealthy.

Having come to the realisation, Dave realised his mistake, knowing he now somehow had to get Aaron to his bedroom, unless he wanted him to be not only in mental anguish, but physical pain. The struggle was going to be getting him there, as Dave was much too old and unfit to carry him, and Aaron was far from conscious enough to walk on his own. 

“Hey, come on, let’s get you to your room. We can talk in the morning. How does that sound?”

Dave pulled Aaron to his feet.

“Do we have to talk?” Aaron asked, his voice slurred with his bone deep exhaustion, “thank you for looking after me Dave. I love you.”

Dave wanted to ignore Aaron’s words, to not feel the flutter in his heart as he heard them. Watching Aaron in his current state was tearing up his heart, whilst also melting the ice that surrounded it. 

He hated knowing that he had a part in breaking the man who stood before him, but his sad, lost face was making Dave want to pull him into his arms and never let go.

Finally they reached the bedroom, Aaron almost immediately sliding off his clothes. Dave forced himself to draw his eyes away, rummaging through the closet for a pair of tracksuit pants for the man to wear. He handed them to Aaron, doing his best to look anywhere but at his friend. 

“Dave, will you join me?” a soft, almost frightened sounding voice asked, “I don’t wanna be alone.”

David recognised the man’s need for comfort, for the feeling that someone else was there. So he undressed until he was in his boxers and undershirt, and joined Aaron in the large bed, swearing to himself that nothing else would happen.

“Aaron, I’m here.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm hoping the next chapter will be up soon, but my computer has died so I am working mostly from my phone which takes 10 times longer. I hope you likes this - Kudos and comments appreciated
> 
> Love you all!


End file.
